An Israeli flag displayed along Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia was vandalized Friday, coinciding with a drone attack on Israel by Iran-affiliated Houthis in Yemen.
News reports say one person died and 10 were wounded in the attack on Tel Aviv.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department said Central Detectives are investigating the incident. The department has no statistics on reports of vandalism against the flag. However, antisemitic incidents in the region have increased since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the U.S. for the most antisemitic episodes last year, including 51 bomb threats. There were 8,873 reports of assault, harassment, and vandalism around the country, the most in four decades. Since Oct. 7, there have been 5,204 antisemitic incidents in the U.S.
The Jewish Federation of Philadelphia released a statement condemning the vandalism. “This defacement following last night’s terror attack in Israel meant to threaten and intimidate the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community, further contributing to rising levels of antisemitism nationally. We appreciate the work of Mayor Parker’s office to swiftly remove the defaced flag, sending a clear message that there is no tolerance for antisemitism and hate in Philadelphia.”
The ADL tweeted a similar message: “We are appalled by the hateful vandalism of the Israeli flag on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We have contacted law enforcement to address this and to hold those individuals accountable for this hateful act.”
They also thanked Parker’s administration for quickly removing and replacing the flag.
The flag is one of 109 flags from various countries from which Philadelphia residents or their ancestors came. The Israeli flag, which hangs near the Holocaust Memorial, has come under attack previously. The Philadelphia police spokesperson said police are not tracking how many times it’s been vandalized.
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